Relationship Between Media and Ethnic Minorities

Relationship Between Media and Ethnic Minorities INTRODUCTION At present, the relationship between the media and ethnic minorities has become a key issue, and a great number of professors have done lots of relatively research on this topic (Entman and Rojecki, 2000). Moreover, media has been argued that they provide an overall negative portrayal of racial minority group. Therefore, this report aims to critically analyze this argument. This study begins with illustrate the theory of ethnic minorities, especially the racial minority group. Then, the media portrayals of the racial were analyzed, which focused on analyzing the Black people and Islam groups news categories on the basis of research evidences. Finally, this report also points that the journalists who working as the media makers also provide the negative representations of the racial minority group. THE CONCEPT OF ENTHNIC MINORITIES Every country or large society contains ethnic minorities. They have their own lifestyle, language, culture and religions, which are distinct from the other communities (Adeno, 2002). Moreover, the social status of the ethnic minority is not only relating to the numerical but also linking to the political power (Cottle, 2000). Specifically, the ethnic minorities have the following features: They have smaller population than the rest of the population of the state They positioned as a non-dominant group in the state They have their own religion, language, culture etc that are different from the national people Their members have a will to continue to have their specificity Their members are not only the citizen of the state, but also belong to the minority (Greenberg and Brand, 1994). Apparently, they are not having a dominant position, and self-determination is the key issue for them (Cottle, 2000). That means ethnic minorities are a small group of people that have their specific personal behaviours in the state. RACIAL MINORITY GROUP At present, there is no conclusion or consensus about how to define, understand and analyse race (Audrey and Brian, 2005). On the basis of the historical research, race was marked by their physical or phonotypical appearance that was distinct from the social groups (Levi-Strauss, 1996).Furthermore, Malik (2001) thinks race is a physical form that has some common genetic characteristics of the population. That means racial people are different from the national people in skin colours, beliefs and rituals, language they speak and so on. They are a small group existing in the state and different from the other national people. MEDIA PORTRAYALS OF RACIAL MINORITY GROUP The media plays a significant role in providing the representation of the racial minority group to the public (Law, 2002). This part mainly focuses on analysing the portrayals of racial minority that are provided by the media. BLACK AS A PROBLEM AND A THREAT Historically, the US news coverage of blacks has charactericticsed as the people were lazier, less intelligent, less moral and more prone to crime than Whites (Stokes and Reading, 1999, p191). Moreover, as the first West Indian immigrants arrived at Empire Windrush in 1948 and the number of Black people resident in Britain has increased to more than one million. The word immigrant has been a synonym for Black although there has a large number of white immigrations at the same period. Therefore, most people would think about the rise of the Black people when they see the headline of IMMIGRANT BIRTHS UP (Bashi, 2004). Moreover, most white people regard dark pigmentation associate with dirt, poverty, low social status, low intelligence, animal sexuality, primitiveness, violence and a general inferiority, due to this the white people also connect immigrants with undesirable behaviours together such as mugging, gangsters, rioters etc (Hartmann and Husband, 1974, p202). Furthermore, a larg e number of Britains mainstream medias portrayal racial minority group in a negative way in the headline: Daily Express: MORE ASAINS ON THE WAY TO JOIN 4-STAR MIGRANTS Daily Mail: WE WANT MORE MONEY SAY 600-A-WEEK MIGRANTS Daily Telegraph: MIGRANTS HERE JUST FOR THE WELFARE HANDOUTS Sun: ASAINS OFF TO THE WORKHOUSE The Times: HOMELESS ASAINS LIKELY TO BE MOVED TO WORKHOUSE BY END OF WEEK COUNCIL SAYS (Gurevitch et al, 1982). Obviously, all of these reports indicate that the word immigrant represents the racial people, and each of the newspaper has used negative words in the headline to describe the news about racial immigrants. As a consequence of this, the readers have built racial stereotype of immigrant reports, which means they form a negative sense of immigrants equal to Coloured people, and they will think Black or other coloured people when they see the word immigration (Campbell, 1971). This readers negative impression about racial people is due to the large number of negative media coverages. In addition, a survey relates to the reporting of members of immigration shows that 61% of the content was negative (Fowler, 1991). All of these inform that the media exactly provide negative portrayal of racial. Furthermore, Sivanandan (2001) manifested that the media has demonised the Blacks. Because of these negative portrayals of the racial minority group, the audiences will appear racial people when th ey see the word immigration in the newspaper or on the television. Dennis and Pease (2000, p21) also mentioned that the news related to immigrants are always bad, for example, a newspaper from New York describe the headline in this wayIn December 1993, a Jamaican immigrant killed six commuters and wounded 17 others in a rush-hour massacre. That indicates clearly the media connect the racial minority with the negative words massacre in the headline rather than only describe the event. So, the media has provided a negative representation of the racial minority group. BLACK CRIMINALS REPORTINGS According to a media research by the US social scientists, the core reports of Black people in the television and film is usually connect with violence, crime, disease and some other negative words (Anwar and Shang, 1992). For example, a movie named Menace to Society that made by a Black man, which was full of disservice and negative portrayal of Black men. Additionally, another film Colours describe Black men as animals and they engage in violent without emotion (Barry, 1993). Furthermore, the programmer of Cold Case portrayals Black offenders as evil when they have committed a murder, while white offenders were represented as clever even intelligent criminals (Hall, 2008). In terms of television and film, Black men are always portrayaled in a totally negative way, and this has made the audience have a racial stereotype. In addition, compared with the white offenders, black people were always described as stupid offenders in the television or film. In the US, how the media represent the race minority group has become a key issue. For example, the journalists not only provide the news stories about black individuals, they also choose examples that will describe the category of black Americans and be compared to whites images of themselves (Braham, 2007). So, this makes the readers have a negative racial stereotype of race minority group. Moreover, on the basis of two data sets (ABC, CBS, and NBC nightly news programmes taped during January, February, and March, 1990, and a set of full verbatim transcripts of the ABC nightly news for an entire year), the researchers found that the media has represented black as the source of trouble and the data was shown in table 3.2.1: This table illustrates clearly about the news coverage of blacks. The most frequent news coverage about black was crime in the local news press, and the third most common topic related to black was victims, which indicates black has a non-dominant status in the state. Moreover, the news coverage relate to crime and victim account for 46.4%, which take nearly half of the reporting portrayal blacks as the threats to American society. Further, according to the data analysis result, almost 60% of news stories focus on negative representing about black events, and also the politics reporting provide non-positive messages for the blacks (Karnig, 2007). In terms of crime news, there is a significant different between media portrayals on blacks and whites, 77% of news stories about black are concerned with violent or drug crime, while 42% about white crimes (Riggins, 1992). This difference indicates the media portrayal the overwhelming majority of black news stories relate to violent, drug crime or other negative words. Moreover, the local news study found that the blacks are twice more than whites shown in the physical grasp of a police officer (Mirrless, 2006). As a result of this, image of blacks are more threatening than the white because the media reporting. ISLAM AS TERRORISTS According to research by Richardson (2004), the data shows that the negative words always appear in the Islam news, which account for nearly 97%. In the USA, the media represent an overall negative image of Islam after 9-11 events. Times magazine analyses 140 reports (2003 May 5 to November 24) about the Islamic world after the end of the war in Iraq, and describes as a violent terror, ignorance and backwardness of the Islamic world, even portrayal as the birthplace of a devil for Americans (Gerges, 2004). For todays US and European public, Islam is particular unpleasant news. Moreover, both the media and government portrayal the Islam is a threat to Western civilization (Poole, 2002). In addition, Times provides several major themes in the Islam reporting: the first major theme is abouthe terrorist organizations, terrorists, terrorist attacks and counter-terrorism operations, which accounting for 36.4; second major theme post-war situation in Iraq that accounting for 22.9; third theme accounting for 11.4% that relates to the tyranny of Saddam Husseins sons, atrocities, and the traces of his son and property; and followed by Islamic countries and terrorist organizations (7.9%) and authoritarian backwardness of Islamic countries, as well as the peoples tragic life and resistance (5%) (Gerges, 2004). These results indicate that the media nearly provide a whole news stories that make Islam and terrorism together. Furthermore, Times reports for the Islamic world is always associated with terrorism and tyranny, and the media attempt to summarize the Islamic civilization with ignorance and warlike character. Meanwhile, there is no reporting about the daily life of civili ans in the Islamic world (Kandiyoti, 2006). After the 9-11 events in 2001, the whole media institutions in the USA describe Islam in a terrorism image, and almost all the citizen fear of the Islam (Poole, 2002). All these reporting indicate that the media only focus on providing a negative image of Islam to the audiences, which always make Islam connect with terrorism in the news reporting. DOMESTIC REPORTINGS OF THE RIOTS Due to the two bombs was exploded in the UK in 1999; the domestic reporting of the riots has increased in the UK (Lewis, 2000). Generally, the domestic reporting such as the Times, the Guardians, Independent and Sun have interpreted black people associated with conflict, controversy and deviance (Richardson, 2004). Moreover, Hartmann and Husband (1974) found that there always appeared race combined with conflict or violent words in the headlines of press news in those four newspapers. Further, these newspapers have the similarity news coverage, which are immigration, relations between black and white, legialation to control immigration (Braham, 2007). In addition, according to the Leicester Universitys Mass Communication research, the citizens pay more attention to consider the threat of the coloured people to them rather than the housing, education and employment about the coloured people. All of these research evidences have confirmed the media reports in the local concentration of ethnic groups described in negative news, and 97% of the news coverage of race links to crisis, violence and other prejudicial words. Even the news end with that the coloured immigrants has given us a threat (Anwar, 2004). This has proved that the media provide a negative image of racial minority group. In terms of crime news reporting, the media always show more mug shot of the Black offender rather than the white perpetrators (Entman and Rojecki, 2000).In that case, the continuously negative reporting of Black men will lead the audience have a negative racial stereotype, which associate murder, abduct, rape and other negative word with Black men automatically (Bryant and Oliver, 2009). In terms of the reports of domestic violence, Troyna (1987) shows that the media focus on reporting the result rather than the reason when the news covered of violence between racist offenders and white victims. Therefore, the negative representation of racial disturbance was made by the media, and the news framework was based on the black presence and the news coverage was full of conflict and tension. In addition, a research about journalists found that they used to make prejudicial stereotypes to portrayal Britains minority communities. (Cottle, 2000; Gabriel, 1994; Harmann and Husband, 1974; van Dijk, 1989) In that case, journalists stereotypical representation about race minority communities will appear in the press, which lead more and more negative portrayal about racial. JOURNALISTS PORTRAYALS OF RACIAL MINORITY GROUP In the United States, due to historical reasons, whites have a relatively higher status rather than other ethnic groups such as the African-American, Asian Americans, and Hispanics etc; therefore the US media are more likely to evaluate other minorities from this white-dominated mainstream culture perspective (Cottle, 1992). In terms of the media, especially the mainstream media, white accounted for the vast majority of journalists for a long time; the proportion of white journalists and commentators is overwhelming advantages in the news and current affairs programs, and it is difficult to see Asia and other minority journalists or reporters during the news or programmes (Fife, 2007). Hence, this imbalance in the distribution of personnel also contributed to the media ethnocentrism. More accurately speaking, that is a white-dominated media culture and perspective (Entman, 1990). Moreover, the worse is that those who live in the United States-led class advantaged groups are difficult to realize the existence of ethnocentrism and impact, and if this trend continues, the spread of sensitivity (sensitivity) would be weakened of other ethnic or vulnerable groups; and also they would be cold or weak outlook for other groups to see the damage. They even thought it was the freedom of the press, information, entertainment, or objective comments about the reportings of very serious racial discrimination or personal prejudice (Sonenshein, 1993).For example, the famous CBS radio show host Don Imus has dismissed because he calling a black female athlete hair volume prostitute in the program for black college women basketball in 2007.In the last century 90s, another well-known program host Bob Grant was forced to resign because he commentate a black mayor as a toilet cleaners (David, 2007). However, these commentators do not think that their remarks would cause great harm to the black community, because they are in mainstream classes (Kanellos, 1994). Hence, this unbalance distribution of the journalists and the inherent racial superiority of white press journalists, will inevitably lead to negative news coverage of the race. CONCLUSION To sum up, according to the above analysis of the researches, it is clearly to see that media really provide negative portrayals of racial minority group. Whether the newspapers, television or website, there always appear the black or Islam news event associated with violent, drug crime, terrorism and other negative words, this inform that the media has represented the black or Islam as a negative image to the audience, even make the audience have a race stereotype, which means the audiences will connect the black or Islam people with the negative words such as immigrations, threat to us, terrible and violent etc automatically. Hence, the media really provide a negative portrayal of racial minority group and even influence the sudiences image of race people. REFERENCE Adeno, A. 2002. Individualism, Communitarianism, and the Rights of Ethnic Minorities. 2nd London: Sage press. Anwar, M and Shang, A. 1992. Television in a Multi-Racial Society: A Research Report. 2nd London: Commission for Racial Equality press. Anwar, M. 2004. Young Muslims in Britain. 1st Leicester: The Islamic Foundation press. Audrey, S. and Brian, S. 2005. Race as Biology is Fiction, Racism as a Social Problem is real: Anthropological and Historical Perspectives on the Social Construction of Race. American Psychologist, 60(1), 16-26. Barry, A. 1993. Black mythologies: representation of Black people in the film vision. 1st Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham press. Bashi, V. 2004. Globalization anti-blackness: Transnationalizing Western immigration law, policy, and practice. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 27(4), 584-606. Braham, P., Rattansi, A. and Skellington, R. 2007. Racism and Antiracism. 1st London: Sage Publications Ltd press. Bryant, J. and Oliver, M.B. 2009. Media Effect. 3rd London: Taylor and Francis press. Campbell, A. 1971. White Attitudes Toward Black People. 2nd America: University of Michigan press. Cottle, S. 2000. Ethnic Minorities and the Media. 1st Buckingham: Open University press. Cottle, S. 1992. Race, racialisation and the media: a review and update of research. Sage Race Relations Abstracts, 17(2), 3-57. David, A. 2007. Black Activists Dercy Negative Regan Media Coverage.on-lineAvailable from: http://www.nationalcenter.org/P21PRReaganBlacks604.html accessed 2nd March, 2010 Dennis, E.E. and Pease, E.C. 2000. The media in black and white. 2nd New Jersey: Transaction Publishers press. Entman, R.E. 1990. Modern racism and the images of Blacks in local television news. Critical studies in Mass Communication, 7(4), 309-31. Entman, R.M. and Rojecki, A. 2000. The Black Image in the White Mind. 2nd Chicago: The University of Chicago press. Fowler, R. 1991.Language in the News: Discourse and Ideology in the Press. 1st London: Routledge press. Fife, M. 2007. Promotion racial diversity in US broadcasting: federal politics versus social realities. Media, Culture and Society, 9(1), 481-505. Gabriel, J. 1994. Racism, Culture, Markets. 1s tLondon: Rontledge press. Gerges, F.A. 2004. America and Political Islam. 1st the United Kingdom: University of Cambridge press. Greenberg, B.S. and Brand, J.E. 1994. Minorities ans the mass media: 1970s to 1990s. 2nd Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Gurevitch, M., Bennett, T., Curran, J. and Wollacott, J. 1982. Culture, Society and the Media. 5th the United Kingdom: Methuen and Co, Ltd press. Hartmann, P. and Husban, C. 1974. Racism and the Mass Media. 3rd New Jersey: Rowman and Littlefield press. Hall, S. 2008. Signification, Representation, Ideology: Althusser and the Post-Structuralist Debates. Critical Studies in Mass Communication, 2(2), 1-25. Kandiyoti, D. 2006. Women, Islam and the State. Critical Studies in Mass Communication, 16(7), 231-256. Karnig, A.K. 2007. Black Representation on City Councils: the Impact of District Elections and Socioeconomic Factors. Urban Affairs Review, 12(2), 223-258. Levi-Strauss, C. 1996. Race, history and culture-Ethnics. Communication Research, 12(2), 177-189. Law, I. 2002. Race in the News. 2nd New York: Palgrave. Lewis, J. 2000. The Story of a riot. Screen Education, 40(1), 15-33. Malik. 2001. Race, pluralism and the meaning of difference.on-lineAvailable from: http://www.kenanmalik.com/papers/new_formations.html accessed 28th February, 2010 Mirrless, C. 2006. Domestic Violence: Findings from a New British Crime Survey. Victims of Violence, 18(5), 27-39. Kanellos, N. 1994. Mass Communication and Hispanics. 2nd Houston: Arte Publico press. Poole, E. 2002. Reporting Islam: Media Representations of British Muslims. 1st London: I.B. Tauris press. Richardson, J.E. 2004. (Mis)representation Islam: the racism and rhetoric of British broadsheet newspapers. 9th London: John Benjamins Publishing. Riggins, S.H. 1992. Ethnic Minority Media: an International Perspective. 1st London: Sage press. Sivanandan, A. (2001, 17 August). Poverty is the new black. The Guardian, p. 13. Sonenshein, R.J. 1993. Politics in Black and White: Race and Power in Los Angeles. 1st Princeton: Princeton University press. Stokes, J. and Reading, A. 1999. The media in Britain: current debates and developments. 1st New York: Macmillan Press Ltd. Troyna, B. 1982. Beyond Multiculturalism: towards the enactment of anti-racist education in policy, provision and pedagogy. Osford Review of Education, 13(3), 307-321. Van Dijk, T.A. 1989. Press about the 1985 Disorders Race, riots and the oress: An analysis of editorials in the British. International Communication Gazette, 43(1), 229-253.

Can Lord of the Flies be Classified as a Fable? Essay

A fable, by strict definition, is a short tale conveying a clear moral lesson in which the characters are animals acting like human beings. A fable is intended to provide moral instruction and its characters and scenes are drawn to suit this purpose. William Golding has referred to his novel, Lord of the Flies, as a fable. This essay will demonstrate that in the moral lessons it offers us and in the symbolic nature of its setting, characters and literary devices, the novel functions as a fable for the inherent tendency in man to revert to primal savagery once he is removed from civilization. We are left with the caution that evil must be acknowledged and consciously opposed. The novel’s status as a fable is demonstrated strongly through the moral lesson it presents to his responders. Golding’s message is dark one, emphasizing the bleaker aspects of human nature. Rejecting the conventional, romantic notions that man ‘is basically noble’, Golding insists that evil is inherent in man. Indeed, Golding would say that the central idea behind the Lord of the Flies is that man is fallen from grace. He would go on to state that once the faà §ade of civilization is stripped away, man is fundamentally motivated in his behaviour by primal and brutal instincts. Evil is a force which is instinctive in man, which must be recognized and controlled. Golding’s message for the inherent tendency in man to revert to primal savagery once he is removed from civilization is presented through the boy’s gradual loss of order and descent into savagery. When the boys conduct their first meeting on the island they establish rules and methods of proper conduct. Ralph is elected by the boys as Chief and a democratic ‘political’ system is established. The boys are excited at the prospect of rules and meetings, even Jack ironically states, â€Å"We’ve got to have rules and obey them. After all, we’re not savages. We’re English; and the English are best at everything. So we’ve got to do things right†. However, later on in the book, when Jack deserts Ralph to form his own tribe he declares, â€Å"Bollocks to the rules!† and assures the boys that their tribe will not be based on rules-instead they shall have ‘fun’, hunting and feasting. The call of the conch is disregarded and autocratic system of governing commences. This new warrior cult establishes fortifications, political feuds, wars and methods  of torture. The loss of order and descent into savagery is further presented through the boy’s progression from vegetarianism to carnivorous hunting. When the boys first arrive on the island they are content to eat the ripe fruit available to them, however as the book progresses their lust for blood and meat becomes more and more evident. Jack’s first attempt to kill a pig ends unsuccessfully, but he claims that next time there will be no mercy. Ralph however realizes the truth of his hesitation, that he is still faintly attached to the civilized life he once lived and because â€Å"of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood.† Jack’s first kill is significant in the stories plot, as it a revelation of his own darker side and shows the extent to which his primal instincts and bloodthirstiness have taken over him. As the boys establish the technology of hunting, their kills become more violent and eventually they begin to turn their bloodthirstiness on each other. Barbaric chants such as, â€Å"Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Kill the pig! Bash him in!† develop, as do savage dances that often end in the hurt of one of their peers. It is these rituals that eventually end in the death of Simon. The boy’s loss of order and descent into savagery is further shown through their worship of the Beast. Jack proposes that â€Å"when we kill we’ll leave some of the kill for it† , in order to keep the threat of the Beast at bay This conduct is similar to ancient, primal rituals where offerings and sacrifices would be left in order to please the gods. The boys have invented their own primitive religion which is a crude form of totemism and their worship is of blood and ultimately, the devil. Overall, like a fable, Lord of the Flies enforces a very strong message. Humans as a race have a tendency to revert to their primal, savage instincts and in doing so reveal their true sadistic and evil nature that lies within. This moral message is expressed in several ways by the author, however especially through the boys gradual loss of order, their blood lust and their worship of the devil. The novel’s symbolic nature further enhances the books status as a fable. The  disintegration of civilization is charted through the use of symbols, one of the major tools of the fabulist. Almost every detail in the novel has a meaning of its own and a representational meaning in terms of the theme and the development of evil on the island. The setting of the novel is particularly symbolic. The island functions as a microcosm of the wider world and parallels our society in competitiveness, destructiveness and violence. The island is a perfect place in which Golding can test his theories, as being isolated it lacks society and societal laws and rules, allowing the boys to run wild and show their true inner selves. However, the presence of the wider world is never forgotten, as there are constant mentions to the war occurring outside the island. References such as the boy’s evacuation, the crashing of the plane and the pod, the dogfight over the island at night and the arrival of the naval officer on the beach and his warship, show the corruption of what is happening in the real world. The island starts off as a paradise with â€Å"food and drink and-rocks-blue flowers† and in many ways is similar to the Garden of Eden in biblical stories. The book corresponds to this biblical story further, in that man is given a chance of Paradise but destroys it, which shows mans potential for evil. Indeed, at the end of the book the entire island is set alight. The â€Å"roughly boat shaped† layout of the island is symbolic in itself, the boat being an ancient symbol of civilization. The water current flowing backwards around the island is also meaningful, as it leaves the impression that civilization may be going backwards for the island and its inhabitants. The disintegration of civilization in the novel is demonstrated particularly in the symbolic nature of the characters. Described as a â€Å"skinny, vivid little boy, with a glance coming up from under a hut of straight hair that hung down, black and coarse,† Simon represents the highest aspirations of the human spirit towards beauty and holiness and can be interpreted as a Christ figure. His name, which comes from the Hebrew word ‘listener’, further enhances his spiritual role, as it is also the name of one of Jesus’ apostles Simon Peter. Simon participates in an important symbolic dialogue with ‘Beelzebub’, who represents the lowest part of man, the source of violence, hatred, fear and murder. The meeting represents the recognition of  these forces in all men, even the saintly. Like Christ, Simon brought a radical new message to those around him; however instead of heeding this message, his peers took him and killed him. Jack is another symbolic character in the story, however in contrast to Simon, he represents savagery and anarchy. Originally a prefect, Jack rediscovers in himself the instinct and compulsions of the hunter that lie buried in every man. From the beginning he is surrounded by symbolism. For example the fact that â€Å"his hair was red† connects him immediately to connotations often associated with the devil and his name means ‘one who supplants’. Throughout the novel, Jack is a significant figure for evil and destruction and hungers for leadership positions. Jack disregards order and it is through him that the responder sees the innate evil of man, since he was the one cast off from society the earliest. Ralph is another central character to the novel and is the embodiment of democracy. Ralph is a likeable character from the start; strong, handsome and comes from high British society. It is Ralph who establishes the use of the conch at assemblies, using it to carry out fundamental principles of democracy; â€Å"I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak†¦And he won’t be interrupted† . Ralph, whose name in the Anglo-Saxon Language means ‘counsel’, is fair, rational and understanding, as is democracy. It is through Ralph that the responder sees the degradation of society on the island, and thereby shows them the innate evil within man. This is particularly evident when â€Å"Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart.† The symbolic literary devices Golding uses also enforce this novel’s genre as a fable. The evolution of the conch as a symbol reflects the boy’s gradual loss of civilization and all its fragility, beauty and innocence. In the beginning of the novel, the conch is regarded as a toy, beautifully coloured and â€Å"ever so valuable† . However, when the boys discover the true power of its voice it is used to summon meetings. As the book progresses, it becomes to be the centre of order and organization and is instrumental in creating order. It develops into a symbol of civilization, common sense and  discipline. The fact that it is beautiful, powerful and fragile gives us an idea of how we should view civilization itself, especially later when the primal forces of evil and disorder are breaking down its influence over the boys. As the story progresses the shell summons the boys and pulls them into order from even the wilds of the island. However, as the boys descend into brutality they grow impatient with the order the conch represents, disregarding the power it bestows on the holder to speak at meetings. This is evident at Jack’s feast when Ralph threatens, â€Å"I’ll blow the conch†¦and call an assembly† and Jack refutes, â€Å"We shan’t hear it.† The conch’s destruction towards the end of the novel destroys once and for all the boys own sense of beauty, fragile innocence, order and civilization. The title Lord of the Flies is symbolic in itself; a reference to who the boys are submitting to as they give in to savagery. It is a translation of the Hebrew name Beelzebub, the devil beneath Satan himself. This title suggests the boys are becoming more evil as they establish the Lord of the Flies on a stick and begin to worship the mysterious forces of the jungle. The Beast is another important literary device used by Golding. The Beast is symbolic of the evil residing within everyone-the dark side of human nature. The Beast is first introduced by a littun who has nightmare. Initially dismissed by the older boys as imaginary, the fear of the Beast in the boy’s minds continues to linger and haunt them. Indeed, its presence grows stronger and more frightening with each day on the island. With the discovery of the parachutist on the mountain top, the boys are convinced it is a living thing. Jack and his tribe make sacrifices to it, whilst Piggy and Ralph opt to avoid it completely. It is only Simon who has the insight to discover the truth-that the beast resided in the boys themselves, â€Å"Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill †¦ I’m part of you. Close, close, close†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In addition, Piggy’s glasses are a symbol of political insight and clear-sightedness. As an inadequate leader, Ralph depends on Piggy’s judgment. Ralph must see through eyes that themselves need corrective lenses. Although Piggy’s vision is imperfect, even with glasses, it is all  Ralph has. The glasses are first damaged by Jack, who blurs them whilst attempting to light the fire. While the lenses remain intact, Ralph can at least go through the motions of statesmanship, however the smashing of one of the lenses diminishes Piggy’s effectiveness and the theft of the other by the hunters renders Piggy and Ralph helpless. Overall, the symbolic nature of Golding’s setting, characters and literary devices, enforce its status as a fable. The symbol is an important tool used in writing fables, as can be seen in Lord of the Flies. Whilst the figurative temperament of the setting helps to show that what is happening on the island is just a mirror of what’s happening in the wider world, the representational characteristics of the characters and literary devices help to give the novel a more complex and powerful meaning. In conclusion, William Golding’s Lord of the Flies is a fable, in that it conforms to the structure and features of one. It offers us a moral lesson about the darkness of human nature, showing us that once the faà §ade of civilization is stripped away, man is fundamentally motivated in his behaviour by primal and brutal instincts. Golding delivers this message through the symbolic characteristics of his setting, characters and literary devices-important features of a fable. Lord of the Flies offers an important lesson to all of mankind, perhaps the one of the many reasons why this all time classic shall never die. â€Å"And in the middle of them, with filthy, matted hair, and unwiped nose, Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 

Homiletics Definition and Examples

Homiletics is the practice and study of the art of preaching; the rhetoric of the sermon. The foundation for homiletics lay in the epideictic variety of classical rhetoric. Beginning in the late Middle Ages and continuing to the present day, homiletics has commanded a great deal of critical attention.But as James L. Kinneavy has observed, homiletics isnt just a Western phenomenon: Indeed, nearly all of the major world religions have involved persons trained to preach (Encyclopedia of Rhetoric and Composition, 1996). See Examples and Observations, below. Etymology:From the Greek, conversation Examples and Observations: The Greek word homilia signifies conversation, mutual talk, and so familiar discourse. The Latin word sermo (from which we get sermon) has the same sense, of conversation, talk, discussion. It is instructive to observe that the early Christians did not at first apply to their public teachings the names given to the orations of Demosthenes and Cicero, but called them talks, familiar discourses. Under the influence of rhetorical teaching and the popularizing of Christian worship, the talk soon became a more formal and extended discourse . . ..Homiletics may be called a branch of rhetoric, or a kindred art. Those fundamental principles which have their basis in human nature are of course the same in both cases, and this being so it seems clear that we must regard homiletics as rhetoric applied to this particular kind of speaking. Still, preaching is properly very different from secular discourse, as to the primary source of its materials, as to the directness and simplicity of style whi ch become the preacher, and the unworldly motives by which he ought to be influenced.(John A. Broadus, On the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons, 1870)Medieval Preaching ManualsThematic preaching was not directed at converting the audience. The congregation was assumed to believe in Christ, as the vast majority of people in medieval Europe did. The preacher instructs them about the meaning of the Bible, with emphasis on moral action. Just as dictamen combined features of rhetoric, social status, and law to meet a perceived need in writing letters, so the preaching manuals drew on a variety of disciplines to outline their new technique. Biblical exegesis was one; scholastic logic was another--thematic preaching, with its succession of definitions, divisions, and syllogism can be regarded as a more popular form of scholastic disputation; and a third was rhetoric as known from Cicero and Boethius, seen in rules for arrangement and style. There was also some influence from grammar and other liberal arts in the amplification of divisions of the theme.Handbooks of preaching were very common in the late Middle Ages and Renaissance. No one of them, however, was widely circulated to become the standard work on the subject.(George A. Kennedy, Classical Rhetoric Its Christian Secular Tradition. University of North Carolina Press, 1999)Homiletics From the 18th Century to the PresentHomiletics [in the 18th and 19th centuries] increasingly became a species of rhetoric, preaching became pulpit oratory, and sermons became moral discourses. Less bound to classical rhetorical models, zealous fundamentalist and 20th-century homileticians adapted various inductive, narrative-based sermon strategies derived, respectively, from biblical models (jeremiad, parable, Pauline exhortation, revelation) and theories of mass communication.(Gregory Kneidel, Homiletics. Encyclopedia of Rhetoric, ed. by T.O. Sloane. Oxford University Press, 2001)African-American PreachingAfrican American pr eaching, unlike some of the straitjacket preaching of traditional Eurocentric homiletics, is an oral and gestural activity. This does not mean that it is not an intellectual activity, but in the tradition of African American preaching and the language of the Black church, the activity of the limbs contributes to the meaning of preaching by creating a dialogue with the self and the hearer. This is a critical, albeit ancillary, element of African American preaching and often helps to make the more substantive theological and hermeneutical ingredients more palatable because they become integrated into the whole preaching process.(James H. Harris, The Word Made Plain: The Power and Promise of Preaching. Augsburg Fortress, 2004)Active voice is more alive than passive.Dont use a 50 ¢ word when a 5 ¢ word will do.Remove unnecessary occurrences of that and which.Remove unnecessary or assumable information and get to the point.Use dialogue for added interest and life.Dont waste words.Use contractions where appropriate.Verbs are more alive than nouns.Accentuate the positive.Avoid the literary sound.Avoid clichà ©s.Remove forms of the verb to be whenever possible.Rules for Contemporary PreachersHere . . . are the Rules weve come up with for writing for the ear. . . . Adopt them or adapt them as you see fit. And with each sermon manuscript you write, pray the Lord will make you clear, concise, and directed toward the needs of your flock.(G. Robert Jacks, Just Say the Word!: Writing for the Ear. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1996) Pronunciation: hom-eh-LET-iks

Political Leadership And Its Effects On African Americans

Political Leadership involves leading people in the right manner that will lead to the achievement of set goals. This requires the political leaders to have special skills that the ordinary citizen doesn’t have so as to lead in a proper way. Additionally, leaders are expected to have the power to fight for the people’s rights to any opposing or discriminating the people. During the colonization time, most of the people from African countries were colonized by the Western countries that lead to the movement of these people from Africa to western Countries and America so as to serve as slaves. As such, the population of Africans in America increased at a very high rate which impacted on the Africa American people to be exposed to slavery, suffering, and prejudice. Henceforth, the calling of leaders to represent the Africa-American emerged. 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